TV Anchor Bullied for Her Weight Fights Back

(TV Guide) A Wisconsin TV news anchor fought back against a bully on air Tuesday after receiving hurtful mail that called her fat.

Jennifer Livingston, an anchor for CBS affiliate WKBT in La Crosse, Wi., addressed her bully head on after receiving a letter - which her husband, WKBT anchor Mike Thompson, posted on his Facebook page - that scolded her for being an unacceptable role model on television for young girls because of her weight.

"Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to maintain," a portion of the letter read. "I leave you this note hoping that you'll reconsider your responsibility as a local public personality to present and promote a healthy lifestyle."

On air, Livingston responded with a four-minute comment. "The truth is, I am overweight," she said. "You can call me fat - and yes, even obese on a doctor's chart. But to the person who wrote me that letter, do you think I don't know that? That your cruel words are pointing out something that I don't see? You don't know me."

Coincidentally, October is national anti-bullying month, which is why Livingston wanted to address this on air. "Now I am a grown woman, and luckily for me I have a very thick skin, literally, as that email pointed out, and otherwise. That man's words mean nothing to me, but what really angers me about this is is there are children who don't know better, who get emails as critical as the one I received or in many cases, even worse, each and every day."